


A Collection of Periods in Non-Linear Time and Space

by YaniCardaria



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2017-12-08 05:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/757482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaniCardaria/pseuds/YaniCardaria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short, sometimes-related snippets featuring random events from multiple universes. Potential for wibbly-wobbly timelines.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ditty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Doctor puts together an impressive light show.

The Doctor was fiddling again. He slowly made his way around the console, playing with the nobs and levers – he would say it was adjusting but really, it looked like playing – until the TARDIS interior lights began to flash. Clara smiled, stretching tired muscles that ached from their recent duty of world-saving, and watched in wonder at the light show. It was a series of long and short pulses, blinking in a steady rhythm that seemed as if it should have been familiar. After pausing for a moment to watch the lights shift in color, the Doctor began to hum along.

She remained silent as she observed him. He resumed sprinting around the console, twisting and turning, enabling the lights to continue looping the same pattern over and over. The colors blending into each other as they continued to flicker were beautiful she mused, but there was just something about that pattern that felt obvious. He stopped humming suddenly and stood back, seemingly lost in thought as he gazed at the console while it continued to flash the pattern. This lasted for a few more repetitions before the lights came to the last bit, pulsing brightly and then fading to what she recognized was their normal glow. The Doctor gave a soft smile and looked at Clara, acknowledging her for the first time since he started tinkering.

"A favorite little ditty of mine," he said by way of explanation, giving her a grin. He then briskly walked off in the direction of the kitchen, humming the tune again with a bounce in every step. Clara smiled at his disappearing back before she looked to the console curiously, tapping out the pattern of the blinking lights. It had been so repetitive she hadn't even realized she had it memorized. As her fingers tapped out the pattern for the sixth time, she realized why it felt recognizable.

It was Morse code! She smiled, excited to have made the connection. She rushed in the general direction of the library, eager to figure out what the code translated to. Making her way down the corridors, she seemed to reach the right door and walked inside. Unsure of where to begin, she felt her grin widen as she saw the book she needed on the coffee table. This ship was simply brilliant! She opened it up and tapped out the message again, flipping to the section on International Morse Code. Finding the index, she quickly translated the pattern and frowned, feeling rather disappointed. She put the book back on the table, tilting her head in confusion, and stood to make her way out the library.

Here she was thinking it was some great big secret and she'd finally get to learn a bit more about the Doctor. As it turned out, he just seemed to have a thing for roses.


	2. His Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rose's mind wanders in the early morning.

It was well past two in the morning, and Rose was exhausted. Her steps were soundless as she walked towards the window, taking in the full moon and twinkling stars that were once at her fingertips. She smiled as she admired them, remembering when she once danced among giants. Though things hadn't gone the way she anticipated, she couldn't say the outcome wasn't favorable. A soft snore from the direction of her bed brought her attention to the man sleeping in it and she turned away from the window to lean against the wall. His arms were wrapped tightly around her pillow and the blanket had been kicked off the majority of his body to become a tangled mess at his legs. To his much vocalized annoyance, he found that sleeping was now a requirement for his new body. She chuckled softly as he snorted in his sleep, his hand reaching up to rub his nose before it fell back to her pillow.

There were so many things this version of him knew how to do. He had multiple lifetimes of experience in a body that was less than a month old.

But this was different. Yes -- he had probably done all sorts of things in his long life. But now... now everything was new. When she had kissed him on that beach not so long ago, his lips had been so soft. Hers were the first to taste them. She had been the first to hold his hand, and the first to run her fingers through his really great hair. She had been the first to connect the freckles on his face with her curious digits, and much later, the first to follow their trail down further in the name of discovery. She had been the first to feel the rough stubble on his face before he disappeared into the bathroom to shave, pausing briefly in his track to leave a lingering kiss on her nose.

Everything he did from now on, she would be the first to share it with him… and most importantly: she was determined to also be his last.


	3. Silver Lining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Clara sees zeppelins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the 50th.

Clara waited until the Doctor left the room to reach into her pocket and pull out the vortex manipulator. She squinted, turning it around in her hands before giving the console room a glance.

"Just for a second," she murmured, grinning slightly as the TARDIS responded with a warning flash. "I'll be right back!" She pushed the activation button and let out a surprised squeak as the air seemed to rush out her. She didn't remember all this pressure the first time she had done it! In no time at all, it was over, and she landed hard on her bum. Taking a shaky breath, she took a moment to observe her surroundings.

This... was not the England she had been expecting. Instead of the lush forests and birdsong of the sixteenth century, she was bombarded the sights and sounds of… modern day London. She felt a shadow slowly move over her, blocking out the sun, and looked up.

"Okay," her eyes widened, "not modern day London." Her gaze followed the slow path of the zeppelin as it drifted past her and she swallowed, suddenly remembering the vortex manipulator had only enough power for two trips. Oh, the Doctor was going to kill her... assuming he found her in the first place.

"You look a bit lost, mate." She turned quickly, eyes zeroing in on a familiar tuft of hair. He had on jeans, a loose-fitted shirt, and his ever present trainers. He looked so... relaxed.

"Doctor?" She stood, dusting off her rear as the man made his way towards her, a small child in tow.

"I'd like to say the one and only, but I think you know better," he gave her a grin as he picked up the little boy and settled him on his hip.

"Funny watch," the boy greeted her, and the Doctor beamed at him.

"It is a funny watch," he agreed as he ruffled the little boy's identical fluff of hair. "You're such a clever boy!" He received an electric smile from the copy in his arms and then turned his attention back to her.

"Doctor, where am I?" She asked finally, looking around in confusion.

"Well, it should be rather impossible for you be here," he answered, and the little boy squealed.

"Impossible Girl," he sang, and the Doctor gave him a pat on his rump to quiet him.

"Not the first time I've heard that," Clara mused, and the Doctor laughed.

"No, I imagine not." He pointed to the now distant zeppelin, "you're not in Kansas, Dorothy." Clara looked down at the burnt device and frowned.

"What happened?" She asked, and he shifted a hand to dig out his screwdriver from his jean pocket.

"Well," he began, extending the vowel which made the little boy giggle, "you used a horribly primitive method of transport and ended up in a different universe." He rolled up on his toes and the boy's gleeful laughter made her smile.

"Yup!" his childish voice agreed, popping the "p" enthusiastically. The Doctor gave him another grin before he pointed the screwdriver at the broken device, his smile turning wistful.

"I'll send you back, but you best give that to him before you get yourself good and lost." Clara stared blankly as he made adjustments and his sonic buzzed, delighting the little boy in his arms again.

"How'd I get here?" She didn't understand. The coordinates should have sent her back to the last place she'd been. How'd she end up in a different universe, why was the Doctor here, and who was the mini-him who seemed to laugh at everything?

"Seems something's changed," the Doctor replied as he turned off the screwdriver, pocketing it again. She gasped and met his eyes, instantly realizing something important. He didn't know! She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly interrupted her.

"I don't know how long this gap you've slipped through will remain open, so I have to send you back. He'll know you were here, so tell him we're doing fine -- we're happy. This here is Benjamin, and we've got a little girl on the way - we're thinking of naming her Abigail. He'll like that." He put his hand on the activation button and before he could press it, she placed her hand on his.

"Before I go, Doctor... I think you should know," he gave her a curious glance, shifting Benjamin's weight in his other hand. "We saved Gallifrey," she whispered. His eyes widened and his hand dropped, landing on the activation button. Her last image was of him clutching the boy tightly, eyes glossy with tears, as he sank to his knees.

"I am the Doctor again," he whispered as the memories washed over him, and then Clara saw no more.

\--

She woke to find a bow tie in her face and a buzzing in her ear.

"Doctor?" she pushed him back and met concerned green eyes.

"Clara," he passed the sonic over her and she waved him away, sitting up.

"I'm fine, Doctor. I saw you," she took off the vortex manipulator, handing it to him.

"You saw me?" He sat next to her on the TARDIS floor, giving her another concerned once-over.

"Well, the old you -- with the hair," she mimicked standing her hair up before continuing, "but there were zeppelins."

"Zeppelins? How did you-" he started, and she interrupted, afraid she'd forget.

"He said they're fine." The Doctor immediately grew silent, his eyes large and sad. "He had a little boy with him he called Benjamin, and said Abigail was expected soon. He wanted you to know," she finished softly. The expression on the Doctor's face was unreadable, and she slowly got up, using his shoulder for support.

"He looked happy?" His voice was soft, and her heart went out to him.

"Yes," she responded just as quietly, watching as a tear trickled down his cheek. It disappeared into the curve of his lips, which slowly blossomed into a smile. He stood quickly, rubbing at his eyes, and faced her.

"Right! You and I need to discuss the importance of knowing when to use primitive technology -- specifically, don't." She stopped listening as he lead her out of the console room, lecturing about the dangers of time travel without proper shielding.

The history there was a story for another day, she knew; but all the same, she hoped it meant there was a silver lining.


	4. A Good One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Doctor arrives.

  
_It's like when you're a kid. The first time they tell you that the world's turnin’ and you just can't quite believe it ‘cause everything looks like it's standin’ still._

___I can feel it… the turn of the Earth._

___The ground beneath our feet is spinnin’ at 1,000 miles an hour and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour – and I can feel it._

___We're fallin’ through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world; and if we let go..._   


* * *

An explosion rocked the ground to his left, causing him to duck behind a pile of debris. The city was burning, not even a shadow of its former glory, as Daleks and Gallifreyans alike burned with it. He could scarcely breathe without his respiratory bypass; the air was thick with smoke and the smell of burning flesh and metal. He leaned against the remains of what looked to be a house, eyes locked on an abandoned children’s toy that had been half melted from the intensity of the flames. This was war, he thought, gazing sadly at the object.

“EXTERMINATE,” he heard in the distance, and stood to keep running towards the TARDIS. He had to keep moving. Another explosion, this time from his right, sent him flying towards a pile of rubble. He coughed, wiping soot off his forehead and he struggled to get on his hands and knees. His fingers met with something soft and he looked in their direction to see he had landed next to the body of a little girl. He felt the tears burn in his eyes as he saw her, a choked cry ripping out of this throat. This, he sobbed harshly, _this was war_. The sound of beams firing in the distance forced him up and running again, thoughts of broken little girls and melted toys urging him on.

He could feel it all.

Gallifrey was crying, and he could feel her tears as the planet shook and trembled with each new attack. She was burning.

He woke with a start, breath ragged and tears in his eyes. Having sensed his distress, the TARDIS had provided a glass of Angloxicaf whiskey, and he quickly downed the drink, trying to block the pain from the fires that raged in his memories. He inhaled deeply, counting slowly to five in hopes of regulating his pulse. His fingers could still feel the softness of that girl’s skin, and his face still felt as if it were covered in grime and sweat. The TARDIS sent him a pulse of calm, trying her best to soothe the ache in his hearts, but he could still feel Gallifrey burning.

He stood abruptly, ripped the thin sheet off his body, and ran into the bathroom to wash. The cold water helped. He stayed under the spray until his body felt pleasantly numb, and then grabbed the soap to finish his shower. After he was done he shut off the water and toweled himself dry, then hurriedly got dressed. He avoided the mirror. There was no need to see the man he had become. Satisfied that he was ready, he walked briskly to the console room, hand lightly brushing the corridor’s walls. The TARDIS sent tendrils of warmth and though he tried to fight it, he found himself clinging to the sensation, letting it fill he silence in his head. He walked through the final doorway and stopped in front of the display screens. Most were running analyses throughout time and space, searching for irregularities; but there was one that remained focused on one set of coordinates.

It was still empty.

Another glass of whiskey appeared next to the screen and he finished it just as fast as he had the first one, before setting the destination to random.

“Alright Universe,” the Northern accent was still unfamiliar to his ears, even though it had been some time since his regeneration, “hope it’s a good one.” The TARDIS landed, and he straightened, frowning at the screen before shrugging it off and walking outside.

London, Earth. 2005.


	5. The Pink Balloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Doctor gains a new companion.

He seemed to be a bit of a glutton for punishment. River would probably tease him about his sentimentality, but he couldn't help it. He had landed during Christmas. That meant only one thing. It meant... _her_.

She was squealing and running, playing in the snow with others under the watchful eyes of Jackie Tyler. He stood to the side of the park, balloons in his hand as a handful of children formed a queue in front of him, each eager to get their own. When he had given the last little boy a balloon, he looked up again to find that little Rose was now watching him curiously. Her hand was held firmly in her mother's as Jackie chatted with an older woman. He speculated she was a neighbor. He had two balloons left, and he desperately wanted to give one to her. He couldn’t help but calculate just how hard Jackie would slap if a grown man just walked up to her little girl and handed her a balloon?

"Can I get one?" His thoughts were interrupted by a young voice and he looked to his left to find a short boy, bundled up snugly, and watching him expectantly. "I wanna give one to m' friend." The boy held out a hand patiently, his eyes large and excited. The Doctor looked between him and his intended target on the opposite side of the park, before handing the boy the two remaining balloons.

"The green one is for you," he said, and the boy gave him a big grin.

"Thanks!" His small hands wrapped around the balloon strings, making sure he held them firmly in his grip.

"Happy Christmas," the Doctor called out as he began running away. The boy spun and nodded before dashing off to where Rose and her mum were standing. He handed Rose the pink balloon and her eyes lit up as she hugged her friend.

"Thank you Mickey," he heard her childish voice say across the yard, and he smiled. He turned to head back to the TARDIS, having done what he intended to do, when he suddenly felt small fingers clutch at his trouser leg. He stopped and looked down to meet the warm gaze of Rose Tyler, Mickey standing proudly next to her. The pink balloon had been tied snugly to her wrist.

"Happy Christmas," she said around a gulp of air, having ran on small legs to catch him. She released her grip and he crouched down to them, giving then both his friendliest smile.

"Happy Christmas," he repeated, and they both beamed at him.

"C'mon Rose! Mickey! Time to go in!" He heard Jackie's voice yelling for them and felt a brief moment of panic. He only said two words to her. Did she already need to go?

"Comin’!" Rose called back, and reached a hand into the front of her jacket, unzipping it slightly to dig something out. She smiled as she found what she was searching for and pulled out a doll that was dressed in a pink top and dark bottoms. She placed it in his hand, patting the doll’s blonde hair lovingly.

"That's your favorite," Mickey commented, surprise coloring his words. Rose smiled, giving the Doctor her tongue-touched grin that he had greatly missed.

"Her name’s Rose," she told him in all the serious tones a child could muster. "She gets cold really fast so keep her really close." She reached up and hugged his shoulder, the only thing her small arms could comfortably reach. The Doctor found he was momentarily speechless as Rose released him and both she and Mickey ran back to their waiting guardians. He watched as Rose took Jackie's hand once more, and they all began walking back to their building. She turned to face him and frowned, mimicking putting her hand in her jacket. He jumped up quickly and opened his coat, tucking the Rose-Doll into his inner breast pocket. She smiled brightly and nodded in approval before waving, her pink balloon bobbing in time with the movement. He returned the farewell, smiling, before adjusting his bow tie.

Happy Christmas, indeed.


End file.
